 The pilot and his three passengers perished when their helicopter crashed into the ice-covered Oslo Fjord just outside the Horten harbour on Wednesday afternoon. The cause of the crash is not known.
The four bodies were recovered in the early hours of Thursday morning, after an extensive search under very difficult conditions. The divers were in place shortly after the helicopter crashed through the ice, but were hampered by lack of light under the drifting ice, and the strong current in the area. The wreck was finally located by mini-subs late Wednesday evening. Two Robinson R44 helicopters were on a routine flight from Stokke in Vestfold county, back to Oslo when all of a sudden one of them crashed. According to Dagbladet, the pilot had contated nearby Rygge tower at the time of the accident, reporting a problem. Work to bring the wreck to the surface began early Thursday morning, and by noon it was lifted onto the deck of the Coast Guard vessel "Nornen". The Norwegian Aircraft Accident Investigation Board and the National Bureau of Crime Investigation will now attempt to find the cause of the crash. (NRK) Rolleiv Solholm |
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